Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 12:48:50 -0500
From: Jesse T Sheidlower
Subject: "Beg the question": NYT 2-fer
Those following the use of "beg the question" to mean "raise
the question" might be interested to know that yesterday's
New York Times had (at least) two examples of this usage. Not
bad for one day.
1996 New York Times (18 Feb.) Sports 9: [Columnist G. Vecsey
wrote previously to criticize rich people who support athletes;
a letter-to-editor responds:] Vecsey would have us believe
that he is aobve it all. However, this begs the question: How
is _his_ bread buttered?
1996 Richard Powers, in New York Times (18 Feb.) Week in Review 13:
[Writing about Deep Thought, a chess computer:] We have reached
the age when brute force can outperform creativity. This statement,
of course, begs the question of what creativity is.
Best,
Jesse Sheidlower
Random House Reference